Take responsibility for your quality of life

Boost fruits and vegetables. People who eat the most fruits and vegetables, no matter how they are grown or processed, have the lowest risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

This is just one of the reasons to buy and use canned, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables in addition to fresh produce. Availability, convenience and less food waste are other top reasons.

If you don’t like prepping produce, buy fresh-cut produce like shredded cabbage, washed and ready-to-use romaine lettuce, diced onions and tomatoes, peeled and cubed butternut squash, or diced melon.

You can also use kitchen tools, like a food processor, to prepare onions, celery and carrots for soup and stew bases or to shred cabbage for coleslaw.

Reduce sodium. Using less salt and choosing lower-sodium ingredients is one way to reduce blood pressure, as high blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease. Cook with unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients.

Choose a salt that contains less sodium per measure, such as Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, which has 60% less sodium per measure than regular table salt due to the large, fluffy structure of the sodium chloride crystals.

If you buy processed foods, compare nutrition labels among brands and choose foods with less sodium.

Bring in a copy of this article to Tehachapi Sculpt365 to receive a free 40oz insulated stainless steel tumbler.

– Terry Delamater is the owner of Sculpt365 Health Clubs and a retired Pharmacist.